Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AEDI project?

The Alaska Energy Data Inventory project's main goals are to (1) inventory and compile all available Alaska energy resource data suitable for electrical power generation and space heating needs including renewable and non-renewable resources and (2) help identify locations or regions where the most economic energy resource or combination of energy resources can be developed to meet local needs.

There was no single place where you could go to get Alaska's energy resource data before the AEDI project. Moreover, many state agencies do not have the resources to organize and document their energy-related data in digital formats. The AEDI project provides these agencies with assistance in converting the data into usable formats and a means to publish energy resource data.

Is the data free?

Is metadata provided with the data?

Would you sleep better at night knowing that your agency's data is well documented and being used appropriately? Get involved—click on the link that says, "Contact."

What the heck is metadata?

Metadata is data about data. In essence, metadata answer who, what, when, where, why, and how about every facet of the data that are being documented. You may also find the following list of online metadata references helpful:

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Short answer:

All the legal mumbo-jumbo is provided in the metadata for each dataset.

Long answer:

Any hard copies or published data sets utilizing the datasets provided by the AEDI shall clearly indicate their source. If the user has modified the data in any way, the user is obligated to describe the types of modifications the user has made. User specifically agrees not to misrepresent these data sets, nor to imply that changes made by the user were approved by the State of Alaska, dataset originators or AEDI partner agencies.

The State of Alaska makes no express or implied warranties (including warranties of merchantability and fitness) with respect to the character, function, or capabilities of the electronic services or products or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. In no event will the State of Alaska be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or other damages suffered by the user or any other person or entity whether from the use of the electronic services or products, any failure thereof, or otherwise, and in no event will the State of Alaska's liability to the requester or anyone else exceed the fee paid for the electronic service or product.

How often are the datasets updated?

The datasets will be updated on a quarterly basis, if needed. Currentness dates can be viewed at the bottom of the metadata for each dataset.

Why isn't there available data for...?

High quality data will be non-existent in most areas of the state, but knowing that there are regions without data is important information as well and will help agencies and managers focus their efforts on identification. There may be several reasons why data for energy resource "X" is unavailable, some of which include:

The agency/organization responsible for generating the energy dataset has not yet done so.

The dataset is not currently available in digital format and must be digitized.

The dataset is proprietary and the agency/organization responsible does not wish to make the data available to anyone outside its own agency/organization.

Organizing the data, converting it to digital form, writing formal metadata, reviewing the data for quality, converting it Google Earth format, and loading it into a geospatial database simply takes time with limited resources.

Have a request for a particular dataset or energy resource? Go right to the source! Feel free to contact any one of the Alaska Division of Natural Resources offices via the DNR Office Directory page or the Alaska Energy Data Inventory feedback page .

Do you belong to an agency or organization and want to submit your data? Click on the link that says, "Contact Us."